Marion County Public Schools resumed classes on Aug. 8, and have started the year off on the right foot, according to Superintendent Dr. Chuck Hamilton.

"We've had an absolutely outstanding start to our school year..." Hamilton said during his superintendent's report at the Marion County Board of Education's regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Aug. 14. "Everybody involved has made this an outstanding experience for our students."

Editor's note: The following is a news report on the increase of college graduates in Marion County from 1970 to 2010. The report was prepared by Bill Bishop, editor of the news site DailyYonder.com, and Robert Gallardo, an associate professor at Mississippi State's Southern Rural Development Center. The report is based on Census data and is specifically about Marion County and Kentucky.

As ebooks and ereaders continue to increase in popularity, it was inevitable that schools would make a move toward electronic textbooks.

To go along with that trend, Marion County High School students have the opportunity to purchase a Nook Tablet to use in the classroom.

"They are using them as a supplement to paper textbooks," said Kurt Mattingly, the technology integration specialist for Marion County Public Schools. "With less funding, schools are having to look for more affordable opportunities."